In a recent discussion online with a friend, the question came up on potential American refugees after a total collapse of the dollar, the U.N. Small Arms Treaty being enforced in full and power outages caused for the purpose of keeping people at home or causing refugees. The question came up for all the information posted on Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants. Some people download the information for plants in their area, but in a ‘refugee’ situation, with gasoline stations closed down for lack of electricity, road blocks in place and internet down; there is only so much people can put in their ‘go’ bags and carry on foot. It is better to prepare in advance and make notes for plants in your area that can be used for food or medicine.

The solution is:1) begin to explore your area and find what is available in both edible and medicinal plants. Don’t wait for the SHTF scenario to play out, do a search in advance and keep your information to yourself or within your group of trusted members by word of mouth, not by e-mails and not over the telephone. The prerequisites are: a) a defensible area, b) with water, c) the ability to use back roads to access the area and d) 3 layers of foliage, warm water spring, or the ability to go underground to help block infra-red detection. When you find such a location purchase topographical maps for the area and surrounding areas.Don’t stop the search there, find an alternative area with the same prerequisites. For instance, Native Americans had both a camp for summer and for winters. This is especially important if you live in a colder area of the country and you should always have a ‘back-up’ plan.

2) Store more than enough gasoline or diesel to make that survival location in an emergency, along with the alternate destination and home again. Be sure and use gasoline preservative so the fuel will remain useful for a year. It is not a waste of money, just insurance that can be rotated to your fuel tank as needed.

Remember we live in United States Corporation where surveillance is constant, every transaction on a credit card, debit card, e-mails and every phone conversation could, and probably is be recorded. Know that in advance and avoid it; use cash for purchasing items when ever possible. Phone conversations can be misleading to the surveillance junkies, and can be used for that purpose, send them on a ‘wild goose chase’ in the wrong direction, use their resources.

Survival in Bear Country

A large area of the country still has Black Bears in the wild, this Map (scroll down to map) will give a pretty good idea of where bears can be encountered. Grizzly bears can be encountered in areas on this Map. For most of us the Black Bear is more frequently encountered in the wild. Most of those encounters the Bear will try to avoid, but hunger may cause the Bear to investigate food smells.There is not a lot of information available on youtube for protecting food from bears. After viewing several this is probably one of the best:

The general rule is keep storage foods locked up in a vehicle. Black Bears have 7 times the sense of smell of a bloodhound. If you are hiking in Bear country most encounters will be late in the day or early in the morning. One strategy is to NEVER cook where you camp. Cook several hundred yards away from where you camp in an airy spot which will disperse the food smell. Make the cooking area down wind from Bear habitat if possible. If hiking, stop in the early evening to cook, and continue on before setting up camp. Try not to camp in designated areas, or along paths used by hikers that may have left food, or food wrappers, behind for the bears. Burn your trash that may have food odors every few days. Don’t carry items that have a strong scent such as deodorant, sweet toothpaste, bacon, or other cuts of meat; they are Bear magnets.

Try to avoid shooting a Bear, as the noise will give your position away, but sometimes it may be unavoidable.

New Mexico has a link that gives you bear habitat, how many per square mile and hibernation habits. If you live in Bear country your state may do the same.

As always, I encourage you to join (See post Molon Labe) or form a militia. Like our Nation’s Founders we have entered an era of mutual defense for our communities, our property and our lives where strong militias are needed.